India were still 311 runs behind when the scorecard read 0-2. More than five sessions were still remaining in the match when Yashashvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharshan were dismissed by Chris Woakes on two consecutive deliveries in the first over of the innings itself. India was just playing with 5 specialist batters and 2 of them couldn't even get off the mark. In came skipper Shubman Gill who had to face the hat-trick ball and at that point of time, it looked almost impossible for his side to save the match and therefore the series. Gill had amassed almost 600 runs in the first two matches but then had three failures back to back, meanwhile also losing the Lord's test. Not to forget he was also involved in some heavy verbal spat with the English openers during the third test. The sledge, the slight dip in form, the loss in the last match- all of those things playing in his mind while he was walking out to save another test for his country. He takes his guard and sees Woakes steaming in. First ball, gets hit on the pad and obviously there is a huge appeal but the ball is sliding down leg. Gill survives the hat-trick ball and can now take a deep breath. Gill- KL Take the Responsibility On the other end was KL Rahul, the most consistent and technically sound batter of the series for the visitors. But he couldn't have done much from the non-strikers' end. He had already witnessed two of his partners leave the pitch and a LBW shout against his captain, all within a span of 3 deliveries. Now, it was upon KL- India's senior most batter and his skipper to embark on to the journey. A journey whose destination was nowhere near, perhaps even looking unreachable at that moment. They had to start together, survive for as long as they could and keep the scoreboard ticking. What we witnessed next, was nothing short of a miracle for India and its fans. While Rahul looked rock-solid at one end, Gill had a couple of close calls early on but kept pouncing on anything loose. Gill displayed a masterclass of drives and scored some quick runs through the covers and mid-off region, guiding the English bowlers towards the fence. The skipper kept scoring at a brisk rate, reaching his forties in no time with a strike rate of 85+ and taking the pressure off his team significantly. Soon KL also started to put the bad deliveries away to keep the scoreboard ticking. It wasn't just boundaries, there beautiful partnership consisted of some phenomenal running between the wickets as well. From taking quick singles and rotating the strike to running hard for the 2s and the 3s, the duo was definitely putting up a batting masterclass for ages, including the perfect blend of grit, confidence and determination. As the overs went by, the nerves settled and the Indian skipper started to adopt a safer approach. Taking it one ball at a time, the two right handed batters ensured that India doesn't lose another wicket too soon. As a result of the epic resolve of these two, the visitors didn't lose even a single wicket in the last two session of the fourth day. At stumps, the scoreboard read 174-2. India had recovered brilliantly well from the phase of 0-2 and now looked in a far better position. England's skipper and also their most successful bowler of the series- Ben Stokes was having a bit of niggle and therefore didn't roll his arm over on day 4. Without him the English bowling attack looked flat and couldn't extract much from the pitch once the ball bowled. After a nightmar-ish start to the innings for India, there two most responsible batters ensured that there was no further damage. With an injured Rishabh Pant, it looked very gloomy for the visitors at one point and people had also started to speculate a day 4 finish with India losing embarrassingly by an innings. But, it was not to be. Atleast for today. Entering into day 5, India was still trailing by more than 130 runs and just a bad hour of play could have still made them suffer a humiliating loss. Now it was captain Stokes who took it upon himself to get the breakthrough in the morning. He started from one end and was continuously looking dangerous for the two right-handers with the odd ball staying low and even coming in. He created a couple of chances against Gill but eventually went on to dismiss KL on 90(230). Finally, the monk- like rigorously displined knock of Rahul came to an end due to an almost unplayable delivery. The duo of Gill- Rahul stitched a historic partnership of 188 off 417 balls. Both of them made the English bowlers toil hard but now there was an opening for the hosts. But maybe KL had done his bit and ensured that people remember this knock for years to come, for the grit, discipline and determination. Shubman was then joined by Washington Sundar coming in at no. 5, instead of vice- captain Pant who had fractured his toe in the 1st inng. 80 overs weren't bowled yet and thus the dark clouds of a new ball loomed over India's chances of a draw. The new ball was taken and the main English seamers were brought back into the attack. Before the new cherry could do any harm to the batters, Shubman Gill brought up his 4th century of the series. Coming off a slightly poor form, a heartbreaking loss and questions over his ability to score on tricky pitches, this century of his seemed to have the answer to every finger raised towards him. Entering the pitch at 0-2, the Indian captain stood tall and was guiding his nation towards a famous draw. The foundation laid by him was too strong for any of the opposition bowlers to move him away from the crease. Probably not just the best knock of Shubman Gill- the captain, but also the best knock of Shubman Gill- the batter. An innings which had the intent, resilience and fight to stand against the odds. An innings which will be given the hero status in the Indian record books. He was firm and he was determined to secure a draw for his country at the Old Trafford and he absolutely succeeded in doing so. But soon, probably a slight lapse in concentration resulted in the downfall of Gill and he had to depart after notching up his ton. There was still no Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja had to walk out at no. 6. The very first ball that he faced, took a massive edge of his bat and flew towards Joe Root at the first slip but the English legend couldn't hold on and Jadeja was given a life on the very first ball of his inning. Also Read: WATCH Siraj Destroys Bethell with Perfect Yorker for His Third Wicket Sundar- Jadeja Guide India Home India lost both of its overnight batters in the first session after adding just 49 more runs to the total. India still trailed by 80+ runs and wasn't out of danger. But what we saw in the post- lunch session from the spin all-rounders duo was something not many would've expected. The two southpaws adopted a positive approach and looked to score on as many deliveries as they could, without taking any silly risk. India was scoring at a rate of more than 4.5 runs an over during the first hour post-lunch. Soon the deficit started to wipe out and the match began to shift towards an inevitable draw. The tiredness of their bowlers didn't help England either. Taking a calculated risk, the 2nd session of the day went by rather quickly. Jadeja and Sundar had successfully negotiated the second new ball and now looked all set to play really long. As the third and final session of the day began, the English bowlers never seemed to have that intensity and energy. Steadily the two batters were marching towards big scores after bringing up their respective 50s. India soon had a healthy lead of 75+ runs and once only 20-25 overs remained in the match, England looked completely out of the game. There was an incident that which started a lot of discussions. When 15 overs remained in the match, English skipper Ben Stokes wanted to shake hands and accept a draw, however the Indian team management didn't agree for it as both the batters were nearing their hard- earned centuries. The hosts looked completely annoyed, irritated, drained and tired and just wanted to get off the field as quickly as possible. It looked as if they wanted to control the flow of the game according to their wish. But once again it was not to be. The Indian management didn't shake hands until both the batters notched up their respective 100s in a huge game saving cause. Both Jadeja and Sundar played a knock for their lifetime and secured a miraculous draw for their team without much hiccups, in the city of Manchester. It was Sundar's maiden test ton and it definitely looked super special to him. These two left- handed batters had tired the English team to an extent where they were literally asking for a draw themselves. The composure, the confidence and the technique put on display was absolutely flawless and the visitors couldn't have asked for a better stand from these two fine all-rounders. England looked nowhere near to dismissing these two barring a couple of deliveries. They had successfully delivered what the whole of India had expected from them. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were heroes of the Indian Cricket Team right now and rightfully so! The Bravery of Pant India's vice- captain and their biggest match winner- Rishabh Pant suffered a toe fracture on the very first day of the match while batting. The injury was so bad that he had a massive swelling on his foot and couldn't even stand properly. He had to be taken off the field using a motor vehicle. Pant had been one of the most successful and key batters of India during the entire series, scoring almost 500 runs but unfortunately he was ruled out from the 5th test. However, that dangerous injury was not enough to stop him from batting and resuming his innings on day two when his team needed him the most. He came limping to the pitch after the fall of Shardul Thakur in the 1st innings and added some handy runs to the total, including a massive six to Jofra Archer. Pant was only dismissed after he brought up another 50 for him in the series and continued with his sublime form. He was even ready to bat on the final day if the team felt his need. Rishabh Pant has always been a true fighter. Coming out to bat with a broken foot was nothing compared to leaving behind a deadly car accident and making a comeback in cricket. Once again he showed what he's made of and is willing to contribute for the team even on a single foot. He has been one of the biggest assets of India's test team in this decade and he just showed us why. Maybe it was the dedication of Pant which ignited a fire within his teammates. To fight it out, to stay on the crease, to take their side home, to put up a historic performance and not lose the series before the final test. Rishabh Pant couldn't walk but he made sure that everyone knew that he was standing tall there for India. If needed, he would've climbed down the stairs using one foot and tried to stay on the pitch until his team was home. Ultimate Fight India had conceded a humoungous first inngs lead of 311 and looked way out of the game but it was their dedication, grit and determination that outlasted the efforts of their counter parts. It was the fight of Pant, the discipline of Rahul and Gill and the determination of Sundar- Jadeja which made India not suffer a loss but also script an iconic comeback for the ages. History books will surely remember this match, not for India's marathon innings but because of the grit and hardwork behind it. The confidence of this draw must motivate India to win the 5th test at The Oval and level the series 2-2. They have played outstanding cricket throughout the series and made some historic comebacks. They surely deserve to atleast draw the series, if not to win it. This draw at the Old Trafford in Manchester will describe the tough fight shown by the Indians in the last 5 sessions of the match to the upcming generations and hopefully teach them that sometimes, a draw feels much more than a win.